11.28.2011

This is a new series I am developing in reaction to my previous wood sculptures and new research on architecture, construction practices and rituals as well as architectural history in the US. I sourced the title, Honor Bilt #01 from the 1936 Sears, Roebuck & Co. catalog because of the role the company played in introducing balloon frame construction to the US. They changed not only what western growth/expansion meant but also how we relate to space and move through it.

I am focusing on the core components of a structure (roof, walls, foundation) and the elements that affect their form (frost line, environment, location) to begin creating sculptures that continue to explore shape and object or space and place relationships. I am interested in using materials that reference home, construction, and utility to articulate sculptures and site-specific installations without being tricky, keeping the work honest. I want to expose the materials I use and employ the pre-existing associations that are inherent in them to create a context for each piece.

With the Honor Bilt series, I am excited to explore mold making, casting, assembling, deconstructing, video, and projection as well as dive into more research. I welcome any book recommendations!

7.13.2011

Here are images from yesterdays installations in Tampere, Finland where I use firewood as a material to embody my experiences and understanding of finland but dislocate it from its purpose, source and expected experience.

In June I really focused on the insanity of the woodpiles here and use them a medium to reflect upon the social system in the country side where there are great expanses (Finland being the most sparsely populated country in the EU) and it is common to pass strangers on a dirt road and for them to not smile or notice you. In response to this, I created drawings, paintings and sculpture where play, humor absurdity are important elements.

This month I am continuing with this idea but in an effort to push this further, bring my material into an urban environment to create more immediate installations that engage the public. I chose highly trafficked locations that offer playful negative space for me to work with. Reflecting on yesterday, I am thinking about how the firewood is a tool for survival and how this could play a more significant role in the installation (neighborhood selection, location). Currently, I am borrowing the wood and cannot leave it on location but hopefully as I develop this I will have the opportunity to create more significant installations in neighborhoods where the wood becomes a resource again. I am interested in the element of time and how the piece would evolve/deconstruct depending upon where (affluent vs. poor neighborhoods) and when (winter vs. summer) I create the work.

This is an ongoing project that will hopefully take many forms and locations so any feedback or questions are welcome as I would love to hear from you and know your thoughts.

7.06.2011

I am participating in this exhibition with an amazing group of artists curated by Michelle Gomez. I cannot be there since I am in Finland and hope all of you in the states can be there for it in my absence! Please come, check it out, tell your friends and tell me all about it! Thank you to everyone participating in this and to Michelle for making it all happen.

Cy Twombly. My first encounter with his work was at the National Museum in Washington DC in 2001. His minimal sculpture slathered in plaster and holding a plank of wood in tension with a wedge and a nail stopped me dead in my tracks. It anchored itself in the middle of the room as if made from lead and pulled me into its maelstrom. His honest and minimal approach was shockingly new to my sensibility at the time and I could not pour through books on his work fast enough. Cy made his own way, drew in the dark, and was one hell of an artist. His passing marks an end of an era. Cheers.

7.05.2011

Drawing as sculpture.... This month I am approaching my drawings more as sculptures and finally breaking out of the square mold! My first attempt was a mixed media installation (Charcoal and paint on paper) in the studio. I enjoy the levity that happens with this work but I am unhappy with the medium. I am trying to find the means to mass print these now to develop my own massive stockpile of logs which are easily portable and can be installed anywhere. After all, Ryan Air only lets you check 40 lbs!

Please stay tuned for the evolution of this project and the forms it takes!